Blinded by the Light (2019) – Movie Review

Another music-based movie, Blinded by the Light follows Javed (Viveik Kalra), a Pakastani teenager in Lutton, England during the ‘80s, who discovers how relatable Bruce Springsteen’s songs are to his own life. 

The film not only featured Springsteen’s music, but also focused on the racism against Pakistani in England during the ‘80s, the struggling economy and unemployment, and Pakastani/ Asian culture that promotes loyalty to your family above your own dreams.

After discovering Springsteen, Javed embarks on a journey of self-discovery and is put at odds with his family as he pursues his dream of becoming a writer. I thought this movie had a compelling story, and I enjoyed how the story wasn’t around the music but the music fit around the story. I prefer this approach, like with this movie and Yesterday, over a historical approach about the band and music, like Bohemian Rhapsody. To me, it’s more interesting and relatable to have this famous music inspire normal everyday people’s lives. Plus, Blinded by the Light was based on the true story of Sarfraz Manzoor and autobiographical novel, Greetings from Bury Park.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham), Blinded by the Light was released Aug. 2019. I remember seeing the trailer for it at the theater, my first thought was “another music movie?” It still looked somewhat interesting, but maybe not something good enough seeing at the theater. I found the runtime a little long for the movie but, overall, I’m glad I saw it.

Even without being a big Springsteen fan, that didn’t stop me from enjoying this film. I even found a couple new songs to add to my ‘80s rock playlist. 

Overall I enjoyed Blinded by the Light and thought it told a good story. I’d rate this movie a solid 4/5 stars and would recommend checking it out if you enjoyed other similar music-based movies.